Renegade hearts

Magdalan Saiyantoa

Back in 2015 a friend was demoralised about the local tango dancing scene. A survey had come out showing that the city's milongas, controlled by a shadowy, unelected cartel, was unfriendly and discouraging. The friend was all "one tango" love and positivity vibes and had tried to set up another. Kissinger they were not. 

A: But one milonga for all...it doesn't work like that.

B: No it doesn't work at all. I tried to change it and failed. I don't have the time or energy. I just don't go now.  I got the feeling when I was trying to plan my milonga that I was not allowed since I wasn't one of them. I had to help [the incumbent organiser] or make it a student event. I would have gone renegade but I think many people would have avoided it for fear of controversy.

A: Well, you asked permission of the incumbents. Of course they would say that! How is asking permission of the the competition going to work? You didn't need permission.

B:  Yes but they hold the marketing monopoly. If they don't support something no one goes.

A: They don't hold a marketing monopoly. Look at Milonga Popular in Berlin. Hardly advertised & mobbed.Perhaps you need a different strategy.

B:  But Berlin has TONS more people dancing. Several times this summer there were less than 30 people at the milonga.

A:  Proves my point. The need for a different offering. Don't try to integrate with the incumbents! You'll be treated like shit.

B: And be given the information that it would NOT be okay?

A:  I get your tango love positivity thing, But one milonga for all...it doesn't work like that.

B:  I don't want to be the renegade [Marsyas]. I get tired of that role. That person is always metaphorically killed in the end. I need to focus on other things, not changing our dysfunctional tango scene. I will leave that to a better person than myself!

A: Renegade or hero is just a question of perspective. You could be the saviour of the scene...

B: No, I need to use my energy creating awareness of the toxicity of socially constructed gender expectations. Dancing is just....dancing! I'll leave being the saviour to you. ;)

A: Ha! Dancing tango is nothing if not about "socially constructed gender expectations". But it does seem to be about everything! I'm already the renegade, hardly the saviour. It's my one talent.

B: That's why I love you! Your renegade heart speaks to mine!

But a renegade persists.  The lover of freedom flies away.

Some years later someone else did set up an alternative.  By that time, the original had made some efforts to change. They started advertising other events in the city  - provided people stayed onside.  It was hard to know if that was changing or tightening control, the way a media company has  power to disseminate the things it wants to and to suppress what it doesn't.

But it was too late and you can't hold a monopoly forever.  Organisers of healthy milongas don't aim for control, they want to foster diversity and independence, because that's how things grow.  If you want to know the character of a milonga host, just dance with them, or watch them dance.  

In the real world, few people are so well intentioned as to want to do their job so well they are no longer needed, or to foster diversity and independence if there is a risk to themselves.  They do what serves their interest, be it independence, freedom, money or control.